Kao Chae - Thai Foods for Songkran Festival in Thailand

Summer comes again so lots of people try to alleviate swelter. Many think of some cooling food like ice-cream, Nam Kang Sai (Thai dessert) another tasty Thai food with unique character, Kao Chae.

Now Kao Chae is catered both on roadside-shops and in restaurants. Kao Chae actually isn’t Thai food. It originated from the people of Mon, cooked to sacrifice Songkran God. Making an original Kao Chae is a complicated procedure. “Kao Chae Sawei” or “Royal court Kao Chae” which we generally know nowadays is Kao Chae with jasmine water, it is served with side dishes which are fried shrimp paste and many color of boiled vegetable. We called “Kao Chae Sawei” because the royal court attendant offer Kao Chae to King Rama V and it became one of his favorite dishes. After 1910, AD Kao Chae become well known widely in villagers and become special menu on Songkran festival.

Momluang Neung Ninrat, the cook for King Rama V , she first brought recipe of Kao Chae to the ordinary thai society. Secret technique, making Kao Chae become a specialty is the way jasmine water is made. We use jasmine to float on the water to give the water fragrant. In the past rain water is used but today mineral water is used instead. Water is kept in clay pot to keep it cool before wasn’t commonly used. Ice was used later on when it was made more easy to find.

Fried shrimp paste is the heart of Kao Chae. People will decide whose Kao Chae is best by tasting fried shrimp paste. We will eat Kao Chae with fried sweet pepper, sweet fish, salty beef, onion, and pork chop mix with fish. Moreover there are boiled vegetable such as cucumber, mango, goat pepper etc. to served with Kao Chae. How to eat Kao Chae… Bring rice pour into jasmine water and add some ice. Have side dish first then follow with fragrant rice.

“Kao Chae” shows Thai culture of consuming which is artistic and neatly culture. Kao Chae is the Thai heritage so we, Thai people should conserve this culture for eternity. Thai food has been accepted all over the world. It is deeply synchronized with the Culture. Kao chae is another wonderful and unique Thai food that has reasonable supports of its origins. It shows the cleverness of adapting to the hot and humid climate (like the Thai house).

[Source from; at-bangkok.com]

Jao Bong - Anchovy Dip

This is a traditional Isan [North East Thailand] dip for barequed meals, steamed fish and vegetable dishes.

The Thai traditional method of cooking the anchovies is as shown below: if you prefer you can wrap them in aluminum foil and roast them in a medium oven for 15 minutes. You can also remove the heads and backbones first. You can also use tinned anchovies (drain and use - they are already cook).

Ingredients.

- hakf a pound of anchovies
- quarter cup lemon grass
- qarter cup shallots, chopped
- quarter cup kha (galangal) chopped
- 3 tablespoons prik ki nu (green birdseye chilis), sliced
- quarter cup of tamarind juice (or rice vinegar)
- 5 bai makrut (kaffir lime leaves), shredded
- 3 tablespoons of garlic, sliced

Method.

Wrap the anchovies in banana leaves, and place on the embers of a charcoal brazier until the leaf blackens. Remove from the fire and unwrap. Discard the heads and backbones of the fish.

Combine all the ingredients in a mortar and pestle or food processor.

Will keep for about 3 weeks if refrigerated.

[Source from; chetbacon.com]

How Many Ways to Cook Thai Foods

Thai Foods have many ways to cook and each way help its taste difference. This is all the ways to cook Thai foods.

1. Pound means mix the food to mortar and beat it with pestle. Something pound for food such as papaya salad ( Som-Tam) but something pound for cooking such as shrimp powder etc.

2. Salad means bring vegetable, meat and sauce blend together until it combine. Taste of Thai dressed salad is sour ,salty and sweet example for Thai dressed salad is vermicelli dressed salad, water mimosa dressed salad and sausage dressed salad etc.

3. Curry means vegetable and meat which cook in spicy sauce mix water or coconut milk.

4. Stew means meat or vegetable which cooks slowly in a small amount of thicken coconut milk and eat with fresh vegetable. Example for stew is salted soya beans stew, pickled fish stew etc.

5. Toast means cooked by put a food above the fire and make it crispy such as banana toast, rice crust etc.

6. Grill means cooked by put a food above the light fire and always turn over it until inside cooked and outside still soft, it take long time for good taste such as grilled fish, grilled pork etc.

7. Boil means put the food to pot and add water then put it on the stove, wait until it boil and the food cooked such as boiled egg, boiled vegetable etc.

8. Stir means mix liquid food together and put on the stove then stir it fast and strong until it sticky such as Thai pudding, Thai toffee etc.

9. Roast means cooked it by oil, sweep the pan with little oil then turn over it until it cooked such as deep-fried pancake.

10. Larm (Thai word) means cooked the food in bamboo joints. Before Larm should close bamboo by banana leave. Example food is sticky rice with coconut milk.